The present invention relates to a novel and useful device for controlling the flow of liquid from a bottle.
The present application is a substitute for my prior filed application Ser. No. 07/983,874, Filed Dec. 1, 1992, now abandoned.
Bottled water may be purchased in small quantities or in large five (5) gallon bottles. In the latter case, the water is normally delivered to the desired point of distribution, be it at a home, office, or the like. Bottles of this nature are normally sealed and used in conjunction with a water dispensing apparatus which may cool or heat the water prior to use. To position the water bottle on the water bottle dispenser, the user must unseal the bottle, lift the bottle, and invert the same into the opening at the top of the dispenser. Unfortunately, this maneuver requires a fair degree of strength and a large degree of agility to avoid spilling the water from the water bottle, especially when the bottle is inverted to a certain degree. Spilled water has a tendency to damage walls, carpets, and items around the water dispenser. In addition, wet areas near the water dispenser are subject to mildewing. Further, the user in hurrying to invert the bottle, may incur physical injury.
In this regard, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,741,448, 4,125,200, 1,079,403, 560,444, 323,737, 365,961, 357,909, British reference No. 1485, Vallet's British Specification 13,158, Ryland's British Specification 4246, and French reference 74 41575 describe bottles having free flowing resilient spheres for stopping passage of water through the bottle spout.
Further problems occur with used water bottles in that they are often misused later to carry dangerous materials such as organic solvents, oil, gasoline, and the like.
A device for controlling the flow of water from a water bottle and to prevent misuse of the bottle at a later time would be a notable advance in the field of foods and beverages.